Kings assistant coach accused of sexual abuse

Los Angeles Kings assistant coach and former player Mark Hardy was arrested in Washington, D.C. early Friday, accused of sexually abusing a female relative.Eyewitness News has confirmed Hardy's sexual assault charge was upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony. He was taken into custody at around 2 a.m. at the Mayflower Hotel. Police said the complaint came from a woman in her 20s who claimed to be a relative of Hardy's.

The woman said she and Hardy and several other people went to a bar just off of 19th Street to have some drinks. At around 1 a.m., they walked back to hotel, and she said she went into the bathroom to change into a T-shirt and shorts to go to bed. At some point, she said Hardy got in bed with her, and she woke up.

The police report states Hardy put his hand down her shorts. The woman told police that she and Hardy were very intoxicated, according to charging documents.

Hardy had a 15-year NHL playing career, which included two stints as a Kings defenseman. He was a member of the Kings team that advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1993. He returned to the Kings as an assistant coach in August 2008.

Hardy and his wife live in Manhattan Beach.

In a statement, the Kings organization said, "We are aware of the charge. Due to the legal nature of this matter, we will not have any additional comments at this time."

Hardy, 51, made an initial court appearance Friday afternoon in D.C. Superior Court. He was released from jail, but it's unclear if he'll be returning to his home in Southern California anytime soon.